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Today i was really impressed with the groups task. I found it fun and enjoyable, but when i evaluate it, i think i didnt actually take anything from it. I know we used technologies to explore, but i had a bit too much fun and missed the point. I think the explanation of how technology can be used to investigate would have been a little better with more detail about things. I did think, after Panos talked, things became clearer and i started to grasp the ideas and the reading better.

Panos:

I thought the resources that Panos put up on the screen was great. I thought the survey would be a great way to evaluate students learning and ideas of topics. The webquests looked amazing, but ALOT of work and effort would have to be put in for it to be successful. I think hyperlinking would be the hardest part of the whole thing and finding all the information that would connect to the topic. I dont know about the website shown, as i feel i didnt get a good look at it. I thought about how i could use technologies to investigate using technologies. I thought internet is a great source, and also these palm computers, but i am a bit cautious of allowing children all the power at searching what they want, when they want. I think a resource, for example Delicious.com, is great for this circumstance. Teachers have control and can see what children are getting up to within the classroom.

What do I know to date about the use of technology in the classroom, that I didn’t know before the start of this paper, and which will help me with my role as a teacher?

I know that technology is implemented within the classroom and can be successful as it incorporates many theories e.g. cognitive, social cognitive, behavourism. Many programmes that do not link to these can be unsuccessful within educating children. It is more obvious to me now how much i see technology within the classroom e.g. projectors, computers- which were not available to me when i was within school. It is scary to think how much more technology will evolve and will it become a negative or positive influence on education? What kind of children will we be creating through this kind of education? I now know i need to assess technologies i use within my classroom as they may not be benefical and to do this i need to compare them to theories. I have learnt that technology should be used as a tool for teaching other subjects and not just soley for the technology. INTERGRATION should occur with technology. I also now am more aware of how technology is having a negative effect on society, but see some positives.

I thought that more people would attend the class today, and felt guttered for the presenting group about the size of the class, as they seemed to of took alot of time to set up their presentation and gather information. I thought the topic was great to see how some technologies- if not used right, can be uneffective within the classroom.

What concerns do i have?

None.

What have i achieved?

An understanding of how some technologies can be effective and some no so. I also discovered the new table by microsoft, allowing things to be moved around and rotated etc. It was great to see how this could be used within the classroom. I also have learnt that technology is quickly taking over the world and soon i believe we will depend on it too much, even now we depend on it- is this a negative thing? will we loose the skills we need?

What could have been imporved?

Nothing. Thought the group did GREAT :).

What have i learnt about myself, the group, the class?

I learnt that i have quite a mixed feeling about the amount of technology involved within learning, not only for us as students, but for children within the classroom. Im concerned about what the future of the world will look like- will we be consumed by technology- always attached? I learnt that the group worked well together and made a great presentation :). The class gave great contributions and allowed me to think more deeply about issues.

Kate Hindmarsh and I have decided to work together on our assignmnet two.

Our theme for our unit will be: RECYCLING.

We have chosen this topic as we believe children are uninformed about this topic, even though it is a very big issue within the world today. We also believe that there are many opportunities to intergrate technology within this unit and we cant wait to start :).

To what extent has today met my expectations?
I thought the group worked hard on their presentation, it was obvious from the information they shared and also the video clips they selected were perfectly matched. I was quite impressed with the readings we were given as they allow us to gain a lot of extra information we may need for the exam. The yes or no questions at the start of the lesson matched to what the group was sharing to us about, it allowed me to think deeply about our attitudes towards technology as teachers, which can affect the way we teach.
What concerns do I have?
None, good lesson.
What have i achieved?
An understanding of what the future may be within schools, focusing on technology. I also am more excited towards this idea as after seeing what this kind of move in technology can do I can view it more positively as I should be, as a teacher, reflecting on the work that complete and constantly growing.
What could have been improved?
Just that the class may have stayed in the one classroom, outside, though it was beautiful seemed a little distracting.
What have I learnt about myself, the group?
We all contribute great ideas and have many differing. I also enjoyed how we could share experiences and this built our knowledge up through sharing these.
Issues (for friday):
None - just that Blog will not work to post.
Do I know to date about the use of technology in the classroom, that I didn’t know before the start of this paper, and which will help me with my role as a teacher?
I definitely believe I have been up to date with the technology that is developing within schools. I have become aware of the strategies within them, which can suit certain learning needs of children and focus on different skills within teaching. I think taking this paper has allowed me to be more positive about the subject and idea of technology because I know with help; I can work through the issues that arise. I also now have the skills to be able to judge for myself whether a technology is useful and allos children to learn within the classroom.